35. Beating the Cancer Odds
Just the word “cancer” strikes fear in most people. However, a
better understanding of the earliest stages of cancer will help you pre-
vent it — or more accurately slow a process we all have to some
degree. Putting this disease into proper perspective can help many
people reduce their risk and, in fact, postpone a diagnosis of cancer in
their lifetimes.
Detecting cancer in its earliest stages, then treating it through rad-
ical medical intervention such as chemotherapy, radiation, surgery or
some combination of these, has improved survival statistics of those
diagnosed with cancer in recent years. But this has done nothing to
reduce actual rates at which people develop the disease. We are
approaching the point where almost half the population will be given
a diagnosis of cancer.
The fact is most cancers are preventable. They’re due to food and
environmental factors, especially those associated with fat imbalance,
chronic inflammation, chemical toxins and other issues discussed in
this book. Genetic factors are not a primary issue in most cancers
since we control the susceptibility of getting cancer through these
dietary and environmental factors as discussed in Chapter 3.
Our efforts — from researchers and educators, to each of us as
individuals — should be directed at understanding how and where
cancer begins, and how to slow or block that process. Fortunately, we
know enough to form a logical plan for avoiding cancer by making
the appropriate lifestyle changes.
Here are the four basic steps you can take to help prevent and
avoid cancer at the earliest stages:
- The first is avoiding the tidal wave of toxic chemicals in
your environment. These contaminants trigger the pro-
duction of oxygen free radicals in the body, which, as part